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Our view of Moulsford Prep School
One of our lunch companions here noted that what he liked about Moulsford Prep was the fact that ‘not everyone does one thing, it’s what suits you’, and that really is what this place is about. It lets children feel prized for being themselves, building confidence and self-esteem by celebrating success in all its forms. Already co-ed in the nursery and pre-prep, Moulsford recently announced that it will welcome girls into the prep school for the first time in September 2026, becoming fully co-ed by 2031. It’s a move that has been many years in the planning, and the next two years will be spent making all the necessary adjustments to get the school ready. And given that you won’t find more charming ambassadors for a school than the happy, bright, articulate and just thoroughly nice Moulsford boys, we have no doubt that the girls will flourish here too.
Where is Moulsford Prep School?
Both easy to find and reach, Moulsford Prep sits in prime commuter-belt territory on a 36-acre site beside the River Thames between Didcot and Henley-on-Thames. A quick swoosh down the drive takes you to the main house, an attractive Victorian red-brick flanked by modern, purpose-built add-ons where all the learning takes place. A cricket square and pavilion sit to one side of the main entrance, and there are large playing fields beyond. But it’s the water meadows and 150 yards of stunning river frontage that set Moulsford apart, and aquatic pursuits take centre stage, be it paddleboarding, kayaking upstream or launching dinghies over to the excellently named Goose Poo Island.
The brand-new standalone co-ed pre-prep and pre-school just across the road is a triumph, built with the best possible learning environment in mind while also blending sympathetically into its setting and nailing some serious eco-credentials to its mast.
Daily parental deliveries are supplemented by a generous fleet of minibuses that bring pupils in from Henley-on-Thames, Wallingford, Nettlebed and more, and good rail links make commuting a breeze for parents (from nearby Cholsey station it’s an hour to London on the fast train).
School headmaster
Ben Beardmore-Gray and his wife Sarah, who heads the communications and marketing department, are very much the epitome of Moulsford: energetic, welcoming, polite, charming and always ready to go the extra mile. They’re your archetypal prep-school couple and full of beans about the prep (and boarding) experience. Mr Beardmore-Gray grew up at Ludgrove (where his father taught), later returning there as a teacher himself, and arrived at Moulsford after stints at Farleigh Prep in Hampshire and Mowden Hall in Northumberland.
He is also astute and self-aware enough to recognise the need to stay ‘100 per cent relevant as an academic institution’, which is no doubt why he is fully committed to seeing through the move into co-education.
Mr Beardmore-Gray has previously worked in co-ed schools and tells us that he has ‘never been dogmatic about all boys schools; it’s more about the quality of the education in all areas’.Mr Beardmore-Gray understands that there will be a cultural shift but believes this will be helped by the many female role models already at senior level within the school. The current deputy head and head of foreign languages are female, as are the assistant heads pastoral and academic joining in September, both from co-ed schools. The new director of sport, who recently moved from a co-ed school, is already planning a co-ed sports curriculum (including co-ed sports fixtures), and Tuesday’s ‘High Performance Lunchtimes’ see a variety of incredible speakers (many of whom are women) stretch and challenge pupils’ perceptions of what’s possible.
The astro is being resurfaced this summer (and there are plans to add another full-size Astro ready for the girls' arrival) and a retractable cover on the outdoor pool is on the imminent shopping list, but the priority for now will obviously be to ensure that the school facilities are optimised for girls joining in 2026. Fortunately, parents have been hugely positive about the move to co-education, and Mr Beardmore-Gray is resolutely upbeat and positive about the school’s future.
Admissions process
Refreshingly, the aim of admissions at Moulsford is to make it ‘as friendly and straightforward as possible’. Almost all the children at the pre-prep sail straight on to the prep, but for those joining Year 3 from elsewhere, prospective pupils are invited to spend a day at the school (with a few informal tests thrown in), mainly to check that Moulsford is the right fit as there’s a very ‘all-rounder’ vibe to the process. It’s worth noting that the phones have been ringing off the hook since the co-ed announcement, so we expect numbers to soar for pre-prep, though places may be more readily available in the older years for new boys.
Academics and senior school destinations
‘Everything we do is geared towards keeping children engaged and excited by their learning’ says Mr B-G, which means the whole curriculum is designed to spark curiosity. Grammar and punctuation are taught through kung-fu; science lessons are packed with messy experiments; French lessons take place over croissants for breakfast; and history involves re-enacting battles on the river. Maths is streamed from Year 4, and Latin is studied from Year 6. The CE syllabus has been stripped right back, and the school has custom-built its own curriculum that focuses on broadening minds and developing life skills instead of slavishly sitting exams – and senior schools are impressed.
There’s no stigma here in needing a bit of extra help, and learning support is integrated into ordinary lessons where possible. And they’re totally ahead of the game when it comes to tech. Everyone gets his own iPad for lessons and touch-typing homework is a daily occurrence, although tech is used responsibly as a resource rather than a replacement for more traditional methods of teaching.
There’s a real focus on finding the right school for each child (Moulsford is independent so has no allegiance to any senior), and pupils head off at 13 to a broad mix of day and boarding schools. Abingdon remains the firm favourite (it has taken 81 Moulsford boys over the past five years, and in a moment of unexpected serendipity has also recently announced a move to co-education), with Radley, Teddies and Bradfield and Eton regularly making the list too.
Co-curricular at Moulsford Prep School
Moulsford is sports-mad, with games or PE at least four times a week. And not just rugby, cricket, hockey and football (for which they often field A-E teams) but so much more: judo, trampolining, fencing, gymnastics, climbing, triathlon... And the river adds a totally different dimension; if pupils aren’t interested in cricket, they can sail or paddle about in a canoe or kayak instead.
But while sport may be stellar, the school’s attitude to it is even more impressive. The head of sport says that the focus is on performance, participation and a sense of team – and pupils in any year group can receive a ‘Lionheart’ award that rewards effort, initiative and team spirit or recognises progress. Lead coaches aren’t always assigned to the A teams – a hugely powerful message showing pupils that mid- and lower-level sporting abilities are taken very seriously and that, with the same amount of coaching and attention, these children will flourish too.
Music is also about having a go; pupils are encouraged to play in a Friday showcase as soon as they have a piece ready at whatever level. Music is part of the curriculum throughout the school (with the head of music regularly popping over to pre-prep to teach even the youngest), and there’s an impressive variety of individual lessons going on – from harps to drummers. Talented pupils are encouraged to aim for music or drama scholarships for their next school (over 75 per cent learn at least one instrument).
The drama-performance space isn’t huge, but it does the job – it has retractable seating for over 100, a modern lighting rig and a new camera for improved streaming to parents who can’t make it on the night. Everyone gets the chance to be involved (on or off stage), with a pre-prep nativity, an annual Year 3 performance and a Year 5 and Year 7 play.
D&T and art have their own large, dedicated spaces with more kit than you could shake a stick at, and on our visit the art room was full of recent exhibits for the ‘Birds of Britain’ art competition. Cleverly judged by house and not by year group, the broad theme gave scope for work in all mediums and from every corner of the imagination.
After-school clubs focus on grubby-kneed fun such as fishing, bicycle-racing, fire-building, whittling, teepee-building and marshmallow-roasting. Paddleboarding is a big hit, and even Mr Beardmore-Gray can be found out on the river on warmer evenings. The Moulsford Award is the school’s own version of DofE, packed with adventure and community service – and in order to pass, boys have to try something completely new.
Boarding at Moulsford Prep School
Even though most families come from within a 12-mile radius, Moulsford works hard to ensure that the
boarding experience is an authentic one. Pupils in Year 5 and above can board for either two or four nights a week (with no ad hoc option available), sleeping in dorms of varying sizes, all of which are named after explorers.
Boarding here might be used to prepare children for boarding at senior school, to help working parents who live further afield – or simply because the boys love it. Our three charming pupil guides proudly showed us everything from the well-equipped TV and games room to the spare duvet cupboard. They also told us all about the ‘Boarders Champion’ award, handed out every week in the boarding house for a contribution to boarding life – be that consistent effort, an act of kindness or just making people laugh.
Phone use is strictly regulated, but the boys seem happier to hang out with each other, playing Spotlight, taking part in activities and indulging in some very delicious-sounding daily smoothies.
Moulsford Prep School community
Good manners, courtesy and discipline are instilled in pupils from the outset. Mr B-G is big on developing ‘good habits’ in his pupils, and everyone we met was mind-bogglingly polite. There really is a feeling here that kindness is prized beyond anything else.
Mental health is taken seriously, and there are regular workshops, pupil-wellbeing monitors and a school counsellor who drops in once a week if pupils need a chat. Mindfulness and yoga have been introduced to bring down the tempo, and specialist AS Tracking is used to indicate if a child might need any extra emotional support. In 2022, Moulsford received the Wellbeing Award for Schools, developed in partnership with the National Children's Bureau – and it's brilliant recognition of the school's tangible commitment to pastoral care and wellbeing.
Most families are local, which only adds to the very cohesive feel of the parent body. Parents really get stuck in, organising quiz nights, Christmas fairs and charity events galore, and forming firm friendships while they’re at it. Families are kept well informed via two newsletters every week – one announcing what’s to come, and the other rounding up the week gone by.
And finally...
There is a renewed dynamism at Moulsford, a prep school steeped in tradition yet moving with the times, and a rare find that truly seeks to realise every pupil’s potential. This is not a hothouse, but instead a rural idyll that values soft skills and teaches pupils to become ‘decent human beings’. The school’s deputy head pastoral, casually chatting over coffee, summed up so much of what we saw in spades at Moulsford: ‘We just want them to be happy, whatever that looks like for them.’ Enough said.